Patrick Wolf explodes with all kinds of supersonic crazy in his edgy, punk-rock adventure The Bachelor.

If Billy Idol were the lead singer of the Presets, they might create something comparable to The Bachelor, the newest album from London darling Patrick Wolf. His beat-heavy fourth record features a diverse sonic mix, including computer blips, ambient machine-made soundscapes, background choirs, and strings. Wolf’s swarthy and sometimes sinister vocals carry his punk revolution attitude in political ditties “Hard Times” and “Count the Casualty.” The entire collection resonates like shrapnel in a blender while still remaining sweepingly beautiful, especially on “Damaris” and “Theseus” (featuring Tilda Swinton). The Bachelor plateaus to perfection several times (like with the twisted, poppy mover “Vulture”), but as a whole, the album feels slightly unpolished and stifled by the extra baggage of about three songs too many.

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